Mayo are 7/2 v the Dubs the next day Nice price if the Dubs don't turn up again

A very nice price. Apart from Dublin no other side has performed consistently well in Croke park like Mayo have over the last number of years. Horan will likely pick his strongest and most experienced team for this game as he will know a win will likely stop Dublin from reaching the final which would give Mayo a much better chance to win a first national title for 18 years.

Mayo have not beaten Dublin in League and Championship since 2012. That's nearly 7 years.

Would that be case if James Horan had remained manager all this time? Horan has beaten Dublin in both league and championship.

Ah, if only me auntie... We will never know. It could help to pass a few cold winter nights in front of a blazing fire and sitting on a high stoll with a pint in yer hand and a few earlier ones settling down nicely but other than that, it's of no relevance now. But if I was sitting on the stool beside you, I'd be inclined to bet that Horan wouldn't have won an AI in his first term. Maybe he is older and wiser now. Hope so anyway. He proved to be awfully slow to make running changes in the course of games and by all accounts was one obstinate hoor to deal with- my way o the high way- ask James Nallen or Kieran Shannon about that.For my money, there was sweet FA between the Dublin and Mayo in recent games and all could have gone the other way. But, it wasn't just a case of Dublin having the rub of the green every time either. If they had lost any of those games, their fans would be bitching about borderline decisions or blind bleedin' refs or whatever.For me, the essential little nudge Dublin got to take the over the line each time came from the bench.They had and will have an inexhaustible supply of talented young players coming through all the time. For Horan, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. He had a super first fifteen but the backup talent needed to win just wasn't there.This year is starting to look good and I'm beginning to hope again- maybe not this year but next one might be interesting. I mean there are a lot of young players about now that look as if they could be useful to downright brilliant in the not-too-distant future.

Mayo are 7/2 v the Dubs the next day Nice price if the Dubs don't turn up again

A very nice price. Apart from Dublin no other side has performed consistently well in Croke park like Mayo have over the last number of years. Horan will likely pick his strongest and most experienced team for this game as he will know a win will likely stop Dublin from reaching the final which would give Mayo a much better chance to win a first national title for 18 years.

Mayo have not beaten Dublin in League and Championship since 2012. That's nearly 7 years.

Would that be case if James Horan had remained manager all this time? Horan has beaten Dublin in both league and championship.

Ah, if only me auntie... We will never know. It could help to pass a few cold winter nights in front of a blazing fire and sitting on a high stoll with a pint in yer hand and a few earlier ones settling down nicely but other than that, it's of no relevance now. But if I was sitting on the stool beside you, I'd be inclined to bet that Horan wouldn't have won an AI in his first term. Maybe he is older and wiser now. Hope so anyway. He proved to be awfully slow to make running changes in the course of games and by all accounts was one obstinate hoor to deal with- my way o the high way- ask James Nallen or Kieran Shannon about that.For my money, there was sweet FA between the Dublin and Mayo in recent games and all could have gone the other way. But, it wasn't just a case of Dublin having the rub of the green every time either. If they had lost any of those games, their fans would be bitching about borderline decisions or blind bleedin' refs or whatever.For me, the essential little nudge Dublin got to take the over the line each time came from the bench.They had and will have an inexhaustible supply of talented young players coming through all the time. For Horan, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. He had a super first fifteen but the backup talent needed to win just wasn't there.This year is starting to look good and I'm beginning to hope again- maybe not this year but next one might be interesting. I mean there are a lot of young players about now that look as if they could be useful to downright brilliant in the not-too-distant future.

May have my blinkers on, but I cannot think of any Referee decision or piece of good fortune that fell to Mayo in any of the Dublin/Mayo Championship games since 2012! Cannot think of any rub of the green.

Mayo are 7/2 v the Dubs the next day Nice price if the Dubs don't turn up again

A very nice price. Apart from Dublin no other side has performed consistently well in Croke park like Mayo have over the last number of years. Horan will likely pick his strongest and most experienced team for this game as he will know a win will likely stop Dublin from reaching the final which would give Mayo a much better chance to win a first national title for 18 years.

I just can't imagine James Horan is even remotely interested in winning the league. Equally there is no strongest team in reserve for a special gig v the Dubs. I expect another bit of development in this game and see how it goes. In his first term, league games V Dublin, Horan played it fast and loose and so did the Dubs. They don't anymore and teams can t get a run on them anymore either. They are more interested in controlling games these days than killing teams. They are in transition as well (a winning transition!) and would be no shock if Mayo beat them. The thing is, it doesn't matter how it pans out. Dublin probably have greater need for points and that should do it. Doesn't matter though. A good football game would be the best outcome.

On a completely unrelated topic, it is surprising really it has taken this long to discover - I'm talking RTE here really - what a great product a Saturday night game in a provincial ground is. ,

A Moysider, they got lucky, if Monaghan v Galway had been Saturday nite we’d be wondering what they were at. There’s a case to never show another Galway match ever though, even as highlights. But Kerry v Cavan the previous week was poor too. It’s hit and miss with the league.

As an occasion for supporters it’s one of my favourites, the Down Mayo game a few years ago in Castlebar that ended in a draw and the Armagh match above there where O’Shea flittered their midfielder with a shoulder being two highlights

Mayo are 7/2 v the Dubs the next day Nice price if the Dubs don't turn up again

A very nice price. Apart from Dublin no other side has performed consistently well in Croke park like Mayo have over the last number of years. Horan will likely pick his strongest and most experienced team for this game as he will know a win will likely stop Dublin from reaching the final which would give Mayo a much better chance to win a first national title for 18 years.

I just can't imagine James Horan is even remotely interested in winning the league. Equally there is no strongest team in reserve for a special gig v the Dubs. I expect another bit of development in this game and see how it goes. In his first term, league games V Dublin, Horan played it fast and loose and so did the Dubs. ,

True.But i'm giddy with excitement at the prospect of Ryan O'Donoghue eventually being given a game and ripping up defences with his pace !!

A Moysider, they got lucky, if Monaghan v Galway had been Saturday nite we’d be wondering what they were at. There’s a case to never show another Galway match ever though, even as highlights. But Kerry v Cavan the previous week was poor too. It’s hit and miss with the league.

As an occasion for supporters it’s one of my favourites, the Down Mayo game a few years ago in Castlebar that ended in a draw and the Armagh match above there where O’Shea flittered their midfielder with a shoulder being two highlights

I take the point about being lucky for sure. But it has huge potential to grow the game as well. Dublin v Mayo could be a spectacle but will be swamped in a big ground. As for Galway v Monaghan and others? Sooner rather than later the penny has to drop that there is an entertainment requirement that has to be addressed. Likes of Galway messing about playing anti-football is pathetic - no easy way to put it. On the other hand likes of Cork getting beaten by Clare every other week is very satisfying!

Mayo are 7/2 v the Dubs the next day Nice price if the Dubs don't turn up again

A very nice price. Apart from Dublin no other side has performed consistently well in Croke park like Mayo have over the last number of years. Horan will likely pick his strongest and most experienced team for this game as he will know a win will likely stop Dublin from reaching the final which would give Mayo a much better chance to win a first national title for 18 years.

I just can't imagine James Horan is even remotely interested in winning the league. Equally there is no strongest team in reserve for a special gig v the Dubs. I expect another bit of development in this game and see how it goes. In his first term, league games V Dublin, Horan played it fast and loose and so did the Dubs. ,

True.But i'm giddy with excitement at the prospect of Ryan O'Donoghue eventually being given a game and ripping up defences with his pace !!